The first Friday in April marks Walk to Work Day – a great opportunity to promote wellbeing, sustainability, and team culture in one simple step. While it’s easy to dismiss it as a niche awareness day (and there are a lot of them about!), it can be a fun and meaningful initiative that encourages movement, connection, and healthy habits.
Whether your workforce is on-site, remote, or hybrid, here are our top tips to make Walk to Work Day work for everyone:
Offer a flexible start time
Give employees the option to start a little later or finish a little earlier to make time for walking all or part of their commute. Even parking further away or getting off the bus a stop earlier counts!
Include your remote workforce
For those working from home, why not schedule a ‘walk and talk’ slot in the calendar, or encourage a 15-minute stroll before logging on? You could even organise a short team call on the go (hands-free, of course).
Make it inclusive
Be mindful that not everyone can walk easily. Encourage alternatives like wheelchair-friendly routes, shorter distances, or even indoor movement breaks. Participation should be about engaging in gentle activity in a way that works for the individual.
Celebrate and share
Get employees to post photos of their walks, share routes, or log their steps in a dedicated online area. Ask employees to take a photo of something they encounter on their walk and create a collage. Consider offering drinks and snacks on arrival at work for those who might need a reward for their exertions.
Link it to wellbeing
Tie the day into your wider wellbeing strategy. Walking supports not just physical health, but also mental clarity and stress relief. Use this opportunity to signpost other wellbeing resources you offer.
What are you waiting for? Get your walking boots on and lead the way!